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"If it's not broken, don't fix it": Majority of Australians favour current flag

<p>The majority of Australians want to keep the current design of the national flag, according to a survey by Roy Morgan. </p> <p>The survey asked 1312 Australians whether they thought Australia should have a new design for the national flag, and a majority (61 per cent) said they wanted to keep the current flag featuring the Union Jack, Southern Cross and Commonwealth Star. </p> <p>While many Australians believe that, "If it's not broken don't fix it" according to the survey, the majority support for the current national flag has gone down 5 per cent since 2010. </p> <p>One of the other reasons why respondents backed the current national flag was because of the historical importance and heritage of the flag. </p> <p>"Our ANZACS fought and died under this flag," one respondent to the survey said.</p> <p>Other reasons why people wanted to keep the flag the same include scepticism about alternative flags and concerns about costs of changing the designs. </p> <p>For those who wanted to change the flag, Roy Morgan said there was strong support for removing the Union Jack from the flag because of its colonial symbolism.</p> <p>"Colonial ties to the UK are an embarrassment," one respondent said.</p> <p>"We are no longer part of the empire," another wrote.</p> <p>Australians were also asked if they thought Australia should keep the Monarchy, with 57 per cent saying we should keep it, three per cent less than in 2022. </p> <p>When asked if we should become a republic, 43 per cent agreed, up three per cent since 2022. </p> <p>"Australians are even more attached to the National Flag than the Constitutional Monarchy," Roy Morgan Chief Executive Michele Levine said.</p> <p>"The results of this Roy Morgan SMS Poll on attitudes towards the current Australian National Flag and whether it should be re-designed show a clear split along political lines with the Coalition on one side, the Greens on the other side, and ALP supporters straddling the centre line with large segments advocating for a change and almost as many wanting to retain the current design," she added. </p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

Legal

Colin Fassnidge and Manu Feildel team up for new show

<p>With the 2024 season of <em>My Kitchen Rules</em> coming to a close, Colin Fassnidge and Manu Feildel have teamed up for a brand new show. </p> <p>At their annual Upfronts event, Channel Seven announced that the pair will host a show called <em>Off The Grid</em> in 2025.</p> <p>Speaking exclusively to <a href="https://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/mkrs-colin-fassnidge-announces-new-series-with-manu-feildel-in-2025-044819605.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Yahoo Lifestyle</em></a>, Colin reveals that the series is an “off-the-beaten-path food adventure” where he and Manu travel around New Zealand for a month in a caravan.</p> <p>“We did the North Island and the South Island, and it was sort of like a chef’s dream scenario where you get to shoot, fish and hunt,” he details. “We did a lot of cooking with the Māori people, Manu and I got tattoos which wasn’t planned, I managed to split my head open - you’ll have to watch the series for that one.”</p> <p>The Irish chef explains that <em>Off The Grid</em> was a long time in the making, and was filmed “a few months ago” in between production for <em>MKR Australia</em> and <em>MKR New Zealand</em>.</p> <p>“We’ve been talking to Seven about it for years, just getting on the road,” he shares. “Manu had an idea to do a thing called ‘A Big Lap Around Australia’ and no one wanted to do it, but when we were in New Zealand I said, ‘We should do it in a caravan’. It was Manu’s idea, but I made it better."</p> <p>“We saw this little caravan in the garden one day when we were shooting <em>MKR</em> over there and we said, ‘Wouldn't it be great to do it in a 1960s caravan?’. We sent it to the producer of Screentime in New Zealand, who works very closely with Channel Seven, and he said, ‘Let’s make it happen’, and then Seven jumped on board.”</p> <p><em>Off The Grid</em> is set to air early next year on Channel Seven before the fifteenth season of <em>MKR</em> premieres, with Colin saying, “I’ve just seen the teaser for it and it looks amazing.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram</em></p>

These 12 things can reduce your dementia risk – but many Australians don’t know them all

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/joyce-siette-1377445">Joyce Siette</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/western-sydney-university-1092">Western Sydney University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/laura-dodds-1378067">Laura Dodds</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/western-sydney-university-1092">Western Sydney University</a></em></p> <p>Dementia is a <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/causes-death/provisional-mortality-statistics/jan-may-2022">leading</a> cause of death in Australia.</p> <p>Although dementia mainly affects older people, it is an avoidable part of ageing. In fact, we all have the power to reduce our risk of developing dementia, no matter your age.</p> <p>Research shows your risk of developing dementia could be <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/article/S0140-6736(20)30367-6/fulltext">reduced by up to 40%</a> (and even higher if you live in a <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(19)30074-9/fulltext">low or middle-income country</a>) by addressing lifestyle factors such as healthy diet, exercise and alcohol consumption.</p> <p>But the first step to reducing population-wide dementia risk is to understand how well people understand the risk factors and the barriers they may face to making lifestyle changes.</p> <p>Our new <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9259/2/4/21/htm">paper</a>, published this week in the <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9259/2/4/21/htm">Journal of Ageing and Longevity</a>, found most older people are aware that dementia is a modifiable condition and that they have the power to change their dementia risk.</p> <p>We also found the key barrier to making brain healthy lifestyle choices was a lack of knowledge, which suggests a public awareness campaign is urgently needed.</p> <h2>What we did</h2> <p>We began by <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9259/2/4/21/htm">reviewing</a> the published research to identify 12 factors shown to reduce dementia risk. We surveyed 834 older Australians about their awareness of the 12 factors, which were:</p> <ol> <li>having a mentally active lifestyle</li> <li>doing physical activity</li> <li>having a healthy diet</li> <li>having strong mental health</li> <li>not smoking</li> <li>not consuming alcohol</li> <li>controlling high blood pressure</li> <li>maintaining a healthy weight</li> <li>managing high cholesterol</li> <li>preventing heart disease</li> <li>not having kidney disease</li> <li>not having diabetes</li> </ol> <p><a href="https://www.thelancet.com/article/S0140-6736(20)30367-6/fulltext">The Lancet</a> subsequently published its own list of factors that help reduce dementia risk, which covered much the same territory (but included a few others, such as reducing air pollution, treating hearing impairment and being socially engaged).</p> <p>Of course, there is no way to cut your dementia risk to zero. Some people do all the “right” things and still get dementia. But there is <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/article/S0140-6736(20)30367-6/fulltext">good evidence</a> managing lifestyle factors help make it <em>less likely</em> you will get dementia over your lifetime.</p> <p>Our study shows many older Australians are quite aware, with over 75% able to correctly identify more than four of the factors in our list of 12.</p> <p>However, few were able to name the less well-known risk factors, such as preventing heart disease and health conditions like kidney disease.</p> <p>The good news is that close to half of the sample correctly identified more than six of the 12 protective factors, with mentally active lifestyle, physical activity and healthy diet in the top three spots.</p> <h2>Two key issues</h2> <p>Two things stood out as strongly linked with the ability to identify factors influencing dementia risk.</p> <p>Education was key. People who received more than 12 years of formal schooling were more likely to agree that dementia was a modifiable condition. We are first exposed to health management in our school years and thus more likely to form healthier habits.</p> <p>Age was the other key factor. Younger respondents (less than 75 years old) were able to accurately identify more protective factors compared to older respondents. This is why health promotion initiatives and public education efforts about dementia are vital (such as Dementia Awareness Month and <a href="https://www.memorywalk.com.au/">Memory, Walk and Jog initiatives</a>).</p> <h2>How can these findings be used in practice?</h2> <p>Our findings suggest we need to target education across the different age groups, from children to older Australians.</p> <p>This could involve a <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/ajag.13049">whole system approach</a>, from programs targeted at <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5858574/#:%7E:text=Family%20Coaching%20has%20specific%20goals,to%20problem%20solve%20challenging%20situations.">families</a>, to educational sessions for school-aged children, to involving GPs in awareness promotion.</p> <p>We also need to tackle barriers that hinder dementia risk reduction. This means doing activities that motivate you, finding programs that suit your needs and schedule, and are accessible.</p> <h2>What does this mean for you?</h2> <p>Reducing your dementia risk means recognising change starts with you.</p> <p>We are all familiar with the everyday challenges that stop us from starting an exercise program or sticking to a meal plan.</p> <p>There are simple and easy changes we can begin with. Our team has developed a program that can help. We are offering limited <a href="https://www.brainbootcamp.com.au/">free brain health boxes</a>, which include information resources and physical items such as a pedometer. These boxes aim to help rural Australians aged 55 years and over to adopt lifestyle changes that support healthy brain ageing. If you’re interested in signing up, visit our <a href="https://www.brainbootcamp.com.au">website</a>.</p> <p>Now is the time to think about your brain health. Let’s start now.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/191504/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/joyce-siette-1377445">Joyce Siette</a>, Research Theme Fellow, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/western-sydney-university-1092">Western Sydney University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/laura-dodds-1378067">Laura Dodds</a>, PhD Candidate, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/western-sydney-university-1092">Western Sydney University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/these-12-things-can-reduce-your-dementia-risk-but-many-australians-dont-know-them-all-191504">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Mind

"I miss her daily": Fergie opens up on friendship with Diana

<p>As the Duchess of York wraps up her visit Down Under, she has shared some of her most cherished memories in an interview with <em>9Honey</em>.</p> <p>Following a busy schedule of meet and greets as part of her book tour, Sarah Ferguson opened up on her friendship with the late Princess Diana, who, like the duchess, is a beloved member of the royal family.</p> <p>"The thing about Diana was that she had the best sense of humour of any single person I know – that's quite a big thing, so it's a really big hole because she'd get my sense of humour," the duchess told the publication.</p> <p>"It's really, really hard to really make me cackle with laughter like she used to.</p> <p>"And so, yes, I miss her daily, and I think in the '80s it was just her and I, wasn't it?"</p> <p>The two women were brought together by their marriages to then Prince Charles and Prince Andrew, and the royal affectionately recalled their strong bond.</p> <p>"There isn't anybody else to know, really, what we know because there was no social media and it was just newspaper headlines.</p> <p>"I was so proud of her, what she achieved, and she would be SO proud of her grandchildren.</p> <p>"Oh, my goodness. Can you imagine? She would be just loving every moment.</p> <p>"She was a great lady, and she still is a great lady."</p> <p>The <span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">duchess</span><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">was originally scheduled to visit Australia in October, after she was invited by her Western Australia-based publisher, Serenity Press to showcase her commitment to literature, wellness and empowerment. However, she postponed her visit to not overshadow the King and Queen's tour. </span></p> <p>The <span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">soon to be grandmother of four</span><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">celebrated the launch of her newest books including </span><em style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">Flora & Fern: Wonder in the Woods</em><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;"> which is a children's book, and Fabulous Food Art, which is a cookbook she created in collaboration with Melbourne mother and TikTok star Laleh Mohmedi, of Jacob's Food Diaries.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">Image: </span>Alisdair Macdonald/ Shutterstock Editorial</em></p>

Family & Pets

Don’t like drinking plain water? 10 healthy ideas for staying hydrated this summer

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lauren-ball-14718">Lauren Ball</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/emily-burch-438717">Emily Burch</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a></em></p> <p>Have you heard the saying “water is life?” Well, it’s true.</p> <p>Water is an <a href="https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/water/">essential nutrient</a>. Our body cannot produce sufficient water to live, so we need to consume water through food and fluids to survive.</p> <p>Maintaining hydration is one of the most fundamental components of good health. But lots of people don’t like drinking plain water much. The good news is there are many other healthy ways to help you stay hydrated.</p> <h2>Why hydration is important</h2> <p>Water is vital for many aspects of body functioning. About half our blood is “blood plasma”, which is over 90% water. Blood plasma is essential for carrying energy, nutrients and oxygen to the cells in the body that need it most. Water helps to remove waste products via the kidneys. It also helps keep joints lubricated, the digestive system functioning, the body’s temperature controlled and skin plump and strong.</p> <p>If you don’t consume enough water, you may experience symptoms of dehydration such as headaches, dizziness, tiredness, low concentration, constipation and a dry mouth. Being severely dehydrated increases the risk of <a href="https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/kidneystones">kidney stones</a> and <a href="https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/urinary-tract-infection-uti">urinary tract infections</a>.</p> <p>If you feel thirsty, it means your body is already <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/9013-dehydration#:%7E:text=If%20you're%20thirsty%2C%20you,life%2Dthreatening%20illnesses%20like%20heatstroke.">mildly dehydrated</a>, so make sure you pay attention to what your body is telling you.</p> <h2>How much fluid do you need?</h2> <p>The amount of fluid we need changes as we age. Relative to our body weight, our needs decrease. So, a newborn baby has higher fluid needs (per kilogram body weight) than their parent, and older adults have lower fluid needs than younger adults.</p> <p>Fluid requirements are related to metabolic needs and vary from person-to-person. The normal turnover of water in adults is approximately 4% of total body weight per day. So, for example, if you weigh 70 kilograms, you’ll lose about 2.5 to 3 litres of water a day (not including sweating). This means you will need to consume that amount of water from food and drinks to maintain your hydration.</p> <p>Eight cups (or two litres) a day is often <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/09/21/1124371309/busting-common-hydration-water-myths?utm_source=npr_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=20221016&utm_term=7386723&utm_campaign=health&utm_id=31926817&orgid=&utm_att1=">mentioned</a> as the amount of water we should aim for and a nice way to track your intake. But it doesn’t account for individual variation based on age, gender, body size and activity levels.</p> <p>Alcohol is a diuretic, which means it dehydrates the body by promoting water loss through urine. This fluid loss is a key factor that contributes to the severity of a hangover. Always have a glass of water in between alcoholic drinks to help stay hydrated.</p> <p>Caffeinated drinks (like tea and coffee) only have a mild diuretic effect. For most healthy adults, it’s okay to consume up to 400 mg of caffeine a day – that’s about four cups of coffee or eight cups of tea. If you drink more than this, it may impact your hydration levels.</p> <p>To check your specific requirements, check out the Australian <a href="https://www.nrv.gov.au/nutrients/water">guidelines</a> for fluid intake.</p> <h2>People who should take extra care</h2> <p>Some people are at greater risk of the harmful health effects from dehydration and need to pay special attention to their fluid intake.</p> <p>The highest priority groups are babies, young kids, pregnant women, and older adults. These groups are at greater risk for many reasons, including relatively higher water needs per kilo of body weight, reduced ability to detect and respond to symptoms of dehydration, and barriers to consuming fluids regularly.</p> <p>Family and friends can play an important role in <a href="https://www.agedcareguide.com.au/information/hydration-for-elderly-people-and-the-dangers-of-dehydration">supporting loved ones</a> to maintain hydration, especially during warm weather.</p> <h2><strong>Ten ideas for keeping fluids up this summer</strong></h2> <ol> <li> <p><strong>Download a water reminder app on your phone</strong> This will help keep you on track during the day and give you digital “high fives” when you hit your water goals.</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>Add sugar-free flavouring</strong> Try a sugar-free fruit infusion in your water to make it more appealing. Prepare a jug in the refrigerator and infuse it overnight so it’s chilled for you the next day. Fill it up and take it everywhere with you!</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>Add some fresh fruit</strong> Add some slices of lime, lemon, berries, pineapple or orange to your water bottle for some natural flavouring. If the bottle is kept in a fridge, the fruit will stay fresh for about three days.</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>Make a jug of iced tea (not the bottled stuff)</strong> There are many great sugar-free recipes online. Tea contributes to fluid intake too. For green and black teas, brew in boiling water then cool overnight on the bench before refrigerating. Fruit teas can be made using cold water immediately.</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>Add a dash of cordial to your water</strong> A small amount of cordial in your water is a healthier alternative to drinking a sugar-sweetened soft drink or fruit juice. Diet cordials have less added sugar again.</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>Make a fruit ‘slushie’</strong> Combine fresh fruit, ice and water at home in the morning and sip to increase your fluid intake for the day.</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>Buy a soda maker for your home</strong> Some people find plain water tastes better with bubbles. Sparkling mineral water is great too, as long as there is no added sugar or sweeteners.</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>Before you eat anything, have a glass of water</strong> Make it a rule with yourself to have a glass of water before every snack or meal.</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>Eat water-rich fruits and vegetables</strong> Many fruits and vegetables have a high water content. Some of the best include berries, oranges, grapes, carrots, lettuce, cabbage, spinach and melons. Keep a container full of cut-up fruit to snack on in your fridge.</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>Use a water bottle</strong> Take it with you during the day and keep it by your bed overnight.</p> </li> </ol> <h2>A tip on water bottles</h2> <p>Water bottles are everywhere and sometimes seem to offer <a href="https://www.refinery29.com/en-au/emotional-support-water-bottle-girlies-tiktok-trend">emotional support</a> as well as hydration.</p> <p>Having a water bottle you enjoy using can go a long way in helping you keep up your fluids during the day.</p> <p>Pay attention to the material of the water bottle and use one that helps you form good habits. Some people prefer metal water bottles as they can keep water cooler for longer (others feel like they are camping). Some prefer glass bottles because the water isn’t affected by any flavours from the container (others fear breaking the glass).</p> <p>Consider the practical aspects, too: Will it fit in your bag? Will it be light enough to carry with you? Can you “chug” on it when you’re exceptionally thirsty? Does the lid require screwing? How durable is it in preventing leaks? Do some <a href="https://www.marthastewart.com/7842071/best-water-bottles-hydration">homework</a> on your water bottle, an essential accessory!</p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lauren-ball-14718">Lauren Ball</a>, Professor of Community Health and Wellbeing, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/emily-burch-438717">Emily Burch</a>, Dietitian and Researcher, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/dont-like-drinking-plain-water-10-healthy-ideas-for-staying-hydrated-this-summer-191859">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Body

No more Mr Nice Guy: Tom Hanks blows up at movie critics

<p>Tom Hanks has taken aim at movie critics in a heated on Conan O'Brien's podcast, calling out the entire review section of the entertainment industry. </p> <p>The Hollywood actor launched into his tirade on the <em>Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend</em> podcast as he looked at how movie reviews and the general audience reception to films has changed over the years. </p> <p>“Now what happened is that time has become one of the metrics for how these things matter, right?” he said.</p> <p>“In the day it was just a fist fight. It was every movie you came out, are you going to make the playoffs or not? Guess what? No, kid, you’re 2 and 12 and you ain’t going nowhere. Or, you got a shot.”</p> <p>“It used to be you had these Rubicons that you crossed,” he continued. “First of all, do you love it or not? That’s the first thing. Yes, okay, you have crossed the Rubicon, right? The next Rubicon you cross is when the movie is completely done a year and a half later, and you see it for the first time, and you might like it. It doesn’t matter if it works or not, you look at it and say, ‘Hey, I think we acquitted ourselves pretty good.’ That’s Rubicon No. 2.”</p> <p>Hanks went on, “Then the critics weigh in, that’s Rubicon No. 3, and that’s always up down. ‘We hate it, we like it. This is the worst thing … Oh hey, oh hi Tom, I saw you in a movie. It was cute.’”</p> <p>“That’s when you ask the wife, ‘Hey, honey, could you take the revolver out of the glove box and hide it somewhere, because I think…,” Hanks joked.</p> <p>Podcast host O'Brien then brought up that Hanks was initially “disappointed” with his 1996 film <em>That Thing You Do!</em>, which marked his directorial debut, but the movie has since become a cult classic in pop culture.</p> <p>“Let me tell you something about these c***suckers who write about movies,” Hanks responded, before asking O’Brien and his co-hosts, “Can I say that?”</p> <p>“Somebody who wrote about it is, ‘Tom Hanks has to stop hanging around with veterans of TV, because this is just like the shot on TV and it’s not much of anything,’” Hanks recalled. “That same person then wrote about the cult classic <em>That Thing You Do!</em> Same exact person. They said, ‘All you need is 20 years between now and then, and it ends up speaking some words.’”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p>

Movies

Prince William pops up in Robert Irwin's socials

<p>Prince William has made a surprise appearance on Robert Irwin's Instagram as the pair team up for an important award ceremony in South Africa. </p> <p>The Prince of Wales and the wildlife warrior posted a video from Cape Town as they take part in the annual Earthshot Prize Awards: an initiative founded by William, of which Irwin is an ambassador.</p> <p>“G’day, it’s Robert here, with, of course, Prince William,” Irwin began the video. “Lovely to see you. How are you enjoying South Africa so far?”</p> <p>“Good thanks, really good, having a lovely time so far, loving it,” the prince responded.</p> <p>“Robert, you’ve been a fantastic ambassador for us at the moment, so looking forward to the Prize on Wednesday – tune in!”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DB_C75lP9Wa/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DB_C75lP9Wa/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Robert Irwin (@robertirwinphotography)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Irwin said that the event was “going to be amazing” before asking William, “We’re in South Africa, one of the most amazing countries and continents for wildlife – do you have a favourite African animal?”</p> <p>The future King pointed out it was a “really tough question”, adding, “My children ask me this regularly. I think it’s going to have to be the cheetah.”</p> <p>“Cheetahs, OK. Very cool. It’s chameleons for me, the unsung hero, I love them,” Irwin told him, before signing off the video, “Thanks so much for having me, for having us, Earthshot Week has been amazing so far and I cannot wait for tomorrow night … South Africa rules!”</p> <p>On the second day of Prince William's four-day tour of South Africa, he joined Irwin for a walk together towards Cape Town's Signal Hill, as the royal and the Aussie conservationist met with a variety of local park rangers and firefighters, with Irwin telling media afterwards that they had both “fallen in love with Cape Town”.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram</em> </p>

International Travel

What does a good death look like when you’re really old and ready to go?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/naomi-richards-182120">Naomi Richards</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-glasgow-1269">University of Glasgow</a></em></p> <p><a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/hawaii-legalizes-assisted-suicide_us_5ac6c6f5e4b0337ad1e621fb">Hawaii</a> recently joined the growing number of states and countries where doctor-assisted dying is legal. In these jurisdictions, help to die is rarely extended to those who don’t have a terminal illness. Yet, increasingly, very old people, without a terminal illness, who feel that they have lived too long, are arguing that they also have a right to such assistance.</p> <p>Media coverage of <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2018/05/09/this-104-year-old-plans-to-die-tomorrow-and-hopes-to-change-views-on-assisted-suicide/?utm_term=.b00a9036f9bc">David Goodall</a>, the 104-year-old Australian scientist who travelled to Switzerland for assisted dying, demonstrates the level of public interest in ethical dilemmas at the <a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/361/bmj.k1891.full">extremities of life</a>. Goodall wanted to die because he no longer enjoyed life. Shortly before his death, he told reporters that he spends most of his day just sitting. “What’s the use of that?” he asked.</p> <p><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953615002889?via%3Dihub">Research</a> shows that life can be a constant struggle for the very old, with social connections hard to sustain and health increasingly fragile. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25982088">Studies</a> looking specifically at the motivation for assisted dying among the very old show that many feel a deep sense of loneliness, tiredness, an inability to express their individuality by taking part in activities that are important to them, and a hatred of dependency.</p> <p>Of the jurisdictions where assisted dying is legal, some make suffering the determinant (Canada, for example). Others require a prognosis of six months (California, for example). Mainly, though, the focus is on people who have a terminal illness because it is seen as less of an ethical problem to hasten the death of someone who is already dying than someone who is simply tired of life.</p> <h2>Why give precedence to physical suffering?</h2> <p>Assisted dying for people with psychological or existential reasons for wanting to end their life is unlikely to be supported by doctors because it is not objectively verifiable and also potentially remediable. In the Netherlands, despite the legal power to offer assistance where there is no life-limiting illness, doctors are <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25693947">seldom convinced</a> of the unbearable nature of non-physical suffering, and so will rarely administer a lethal dose in such cases.</p> <p>Although doctors may look to a physical diagnosis to give them confidence in their decision to hasten a patient’s death, physical symptoms are often not mentioned by the people they are assisting. Instead, the most common reason given by those who have received help to die is <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMms1700606">loss of autonomy</a>. Other common reasons are to avoid burdening others and not being able to enjoy one’s life – the exact same reason given by Goodall. This suggests that requests from people with terminal illness, and from those who are just very old and ready to go, are not as different as both the law – and doctors’ interpretation of the law – claim them to be.</p> <h2>Sympathetic coverage</h2> <p>It seems that the general public does not draw a clear distinction either. Most of the media coverage of Goodall’s journey to Switzerland was sympathetic, to the dismay of <a href="http://www.carenotkilling.org.uk/press-releases/centenarians-assisted-suicide/">opponents</a> of assisted dying.</p> <p>Media reports about <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2014/sep/02/mary-berry-great-british-bake-off-centenarian-assisted-dying">ageing celebrities</a> endorsing assisted dying in cases of both terminal illness and very old age, blur the distinction still further.</p> <p>One of the reasons for this categorical confusion is that, at root, this debate is about what a good death looks like, and this doesn’t rely on prognosis; it relies on <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01459740.2016.1255610">personality</a>. And, it’s worth remembering, the personalities of the very old are as diverse as those of the very young.</p> <p>Discussion of assisted suicide often focuses on concerns that some older people may be exposed to coercion by carers or family members. But older people also play another role in this debate. They make up the rank and file <a href="http://www.ep.liu.se/ej/ijal/2012/v7/i1/a01/ijal12v7i1a01.pdf">activists</a> of the global right-to-die movement. In this conflict of rights, protectionist impulses conflict with these older activists’ demands to die on their own terms and at a time of their own choosing.</p> <p>In light of the <a href="https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/worlds-older-population-grows-dramatically">unprecedented ageing</a> of the world’s population and increasing longevity, it is important to think about what a good death looks like in deep old age. In an era when more jurisdictions are passing laws to permit doctor-assisted dying, the choreographed death of a 104-year-old, who died listening to Ode to Joy after enjoying a last fish supper, starts to look like a socially approved good death.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/96589/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/naomi-richards-182120">Naomi Richards</a>, Lecturer in Social Science (End of Life Studies), <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-glasgow-1269">University of Glasgow</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-does-a-good-death-look-like-when-youre-really-old-and-ready-to-go-96589">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Caring

"I’m coming home from a party, and I don’t want to end up getting arrested": do driving apps help people break road rules?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/verity-truelove-1237331">Verity Truelove</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-the-sunshine-coast-1068">University of the Sunshine Coast</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/michelle-nicolls-1299069">Michelle Nicolls</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-the-sunshine-coast-1068">University of the Sunshine Coast</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/oscar-oviedo-trespalacios-1417150">Oscar Oviedo-Trespalacios</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/delft-university-of-technology-1040">Delft University of Technology</a></em></p> <p>Apps such as Google Maps, Apple Maps and Waze can tell drivers when they are approaching speed cameras or random breath testing stations. Countries such as Germany, France and Switzerland have banned apps from displaying these enforcement locations.</p> <p>But what effect are these apps having in Australia – are they helping drivers break road rules?</p> <p>Our new <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925753524002972">paper</a>, published in the journal Safety Science, examined this question.</p> <p>We found this technology can, in some cases, contribute to people thinking they are invincible on the roads. However, we also found they can sometimes help people drive more safely.</p> <h2>Being made aware of enforcement can help road safety</h2> <p>We conducted focus groups and interviews with a total of 58 drivers from Queensland, to understand how the use of this technology influences perceptions of being caught for breaking road rules.</p> <p>One driver told us: "If I know it’s coming up, I’ll put my phone down. If I was, say, texting or checking something, but then like once a good few 100 metres away, I sort of pick it up again, depending though."</p> <p>Another said: "It sort of depends where I am driving, I guess. Like, if I am driving on a country road and there is a speed camera there I would probably slow down for the speed camera and then sort of speed up again once I am sort of past that; it sort of depends on the circumstances."</p> <p>We also found that, for some people, being made aware of enforcement locations can help drivers better regulate their speed. This helped them comply with road rules more consistently.</p> <p>Waze also shows the speed limit in the area, which further assisted some drivers to stick to the speed limit. One driver told us: "I’m a bit careful if I just look at the speedo and just double check that I’m on the right amount of speed."</p> <p>Another said: "It just gives you a warning like, ‘OK, you need to check your speed.’ Just to double-check you’re going on the right speed perhaps or when it’s a camera coming up."</p> <h2>Concerning behaviours</h2> <p>Concerningly, we also found some drivers who use these apps are looking at and touching their screens more than they otherwise would. This can distract drivers and increase their <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925753524001097">risk of crashing</a>.</p> <p>One driver told us they post traffic updates on the app they use while driving, “which I know is wrong.”</p> <p>Another said: "Just hit the button on the phone. Just two steps after I go past the camera."</p> <p>Another driver told us: "It’s so helpful […] Especially if it’s, say, late night and I’m coming home from a party, and I don’t want to end up getting arrested."</p> <p>One driver said: "I probably feel slightly more invincible, which is probably not a good thing."</p> <p>When asked why these apps are used, one driver said: "I guess the drug and the drink-driving."</p> <h2>Apps can help and hinder road safety</h2> <p>We know breaking road rules significantly contributes to <a href="https://www.who.int/teams/social-determinants-of-health/safety-and-mobility/global-status-report-on-road-safety-2023">crashes and road fatalities</a>, with deaths on Australian roads continuing to <a href="https://www.bitre.gov.au/publications/ongoing/road_deaths_australia_monthly_bulletins">increase</a> over time.</p> <p>On the one hand, when drivers are aware of enforcement measures like cameras and police, they are more likely to stop breaking the rules in those areas. That’s particularly true for behaviours such as speeding and using a phone while driving, we found.</p> <p>Using apps that flag where cameras and police are located also means drivers would be more exposed to enforcement activities than they otherwise would be on a normal drive.</p> <p>On the other hand, our results suggest some drivers are using these applications to break road rules more often in places where they think they won’t be caught.</p> <p>These apps are also not always completely accurate.</p> <p>For instance, even though Waze can display some police operation locations such as roadside breath testing, it can’t capture <em>all</em> on-road police activities. Further, camera locations are not always up to date or accurate.</p> <h2>Weighing benefits against risks</h2> <p>While these apps do have some benefits, it’s important to weigh these against the risks.</p> <p>It’s also important to recognise traffic enforcement isn’t just there to make you comply with road rules at a specific point; it is meant to remind you of the constant risk of being caught and to encourage consistent rule compliance.</p> <p>The goal is to ensure that drivers are following the traffic rules across the entire network, not just in isolated spots.</p> <p>With road fatalities at some of the <a href="https://www.bitre.gov.au/publications/ongoing/road_deaths_australia_monthly_bulletins">highest rates we’ve seen in recent years</a>, we need everyone to work together to stop more preventable deaths and injuries.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/237664/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/verity-truelove-1237331">Verity Truelove</a>, Senior Research Fellow in Road Safety Research, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-the-sunshine-coast-1068">University of the Sunshine Coast</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/michelle-nicolls-1299069">Michelle Nicolls</a>, PhD Candidate, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-the-sunshine-coast-1068">University of the Sunshine Coast</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/oscar-oviedo-trespalacios-1417150">Oscar Oviedo-Trespalacios</a>, A/Professor Responsible Risk Management, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/delft-university-of-technology-1040">Delft University of Technology</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/im-coming-home-from-a-party-and-i-dont-want-to-end-up-getting-arrested-do-driving-apps-help-people-break-road-rules-237664">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Legal

The Voice 2025 coaches line-up leaked

<p><em>The Voice Australia</em> appears set to have a major cast shake up, following Guy Sebastian's shock <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/music/guy-sebastian-drops-bombshell-news" target="_blank" rel="noopener">departure</a> from the show after six years. </p> <p>An insider told <em>Yahoo Lifestyle</em> that current coaches Kate Miller-Heidke and Adam Lambert are also saying goodbye to the show. </p> <p>Channel Seven is said to be in the final stages of locking their new line-up, which includes former fan favourites like Keith Urban. </p> <p>“The line-up that Channel Seven wants is Keith Urban, Jessica Mauboy, Ronan Keating and LeAnn Rimes,” the source told <em>Yahoo Lifestyle.</em> </p> <p>“They’ve all been on the show before and conversations had started a few months back.”</p> <p>Urban last appeared on the singing competition as coach in 2022, and fans were overjoyed when he appeared as a guest earlier this year. </p> <p>"Keith was asked about returning when he recorded a performance for the grand finale and he sounded open to the idea - as long as it works with his wife Nicole Kidman's plans to be back in Australia at the same time," the insider said. </p> <p>The source also said that US singer Rimes is likely to return as well. </p> <p>"In the lead-up to this year’s finale, LeAnn's management kept talking about the next series and what she plans to do differently," they said. </p> <p> “LeAnn was clear about her ambition to return next year and Channel Seven are keen to have her back after her artist won.”</p> <p>Jessica Mauboy, who was coach for the show from 2021 to 2023, left the series this year to focus on her music and go on tour, but Channel Seven are also keen to welcome her back. </p> <p>“There were always plans to bring Jess back at some point and viewers really missed her contribution this season," the insider said. </p> <p>“The conversation about Jess had been on the cards with or without Guy. It seemed the network was already looking at flipping Kate Miller-Heidke, who seemed a little out of place on the show."</p> <p>As for Ronan Keating, who was last seen on the show in 2016, the source said he was keen to appear on the Australian version of the show again. </p> <p>Channel Seven is expected to officially announce the 2025 lineup for <em>The Voice Australia</em> at their upcoming Upfront event this month.</p> <p>“One thing is for sure <em>The Voice Australia </em>will go on without Guy Sebastian and 2025 looks set to have one of the best line-ups without him." </p> <p><em>Images: Channel Seven</em></p> <p> </p>

Jill Farnham opens up on John's health battle

<p>John Farnham's wife Jill has opened up about her husband's devastating cancer battle, and how his health journey took a toll on their entire family. </p> <p>Jill, who has been notoriously private throughout her marriage to the Aussie music legend, has penned two chapters in Farnham's memoir <em>The Voice Inside</em>, sharing how John's cancer diagnosis changed everything, and shared her opinions on his future singing. </p> <p>“I don’t know if John will sing again,” she wrote. “It just depends. Because of the radiation, that whole side of his face is rock hard. The flesh, the muscle, the tendons, none of it is supple."</p> <p>“The surgeons need to work out how to loosen it all, so we have to be patient. He’s disappointed, naturally, because he may not be up on a stage again and he loved that.”</p> <p>Jill also revealed it was her who pushed Farnham to see a doctor before his diagnosis with cancer in August 2022, explaining, “He had a big white mass on the inside of his cheek and you could physically see it.”</p> <p>“For several months I was saying to him, ‘Let’s go see about that thing in your mouth,’ and he’d say, ‘No, it’s alright, it’s alright, it’s alright.’ He kept putting it off and putting it off. I pleaded with him to go see a doctor and finally he did.”</p> <p>Jill explained how her husband's attitude as "a classic Cancerian” impacted the time it took to get a diagnosis, and how she has had to be strong for her whole family through the scary health ordeal. </p> <p>“Over the years I’ve had to be strong,” Jill wrote. “I’ve had to be a wife, a mother, a psychiatrist, a doctor, I’ve had to be all those things in one. I’ve had to be strong and bossy to keep the family together, to keep moving forward, and I have done that because I love John and I love my family."</p> <p>“John is a classic Cancerian, he likes to walk sideways and go around everything, rather than face any issues head-on,” Jill continued. “To this day he acts like that when he’s faced with a tough decision or situation. He always beats around the bush rather than deal with it and then, of course, that just makes a situation worse for him.”</p> <p>Later in the chapter detailing Farnham’s health, Jill set the record straight on some media reports relating to the surgery to remove the cancerous tumour.</p> <p>“And, just for the record, they didn’t take his jaw,” she wrote. “I know lots of people think that’s what happened, but in the end they removed the cancer from his cheek and they also scraped his jaw to make sure it hadn’t gotten into his bones."</p> <p>“Thankfully the cancer wasn’t in his bones, which was great news, and so he’s still got his bottom jaw, even though the radiation has messed that up a little bit."</p> <p>“In hospital they were feeding him through a tube in his stomach, which was pretty grim. I started taking in my home cooking. Things I knew John would like. He would eat a couple of mouthfuls and that would be it, he wouldn’t be able to manage any more. For a while there, it felt like one thing on top of another for John."</p> <p>“It was a traumatic time for all of us, but we got through it. Now he’s back to eating, which is a good sign, but he can’t open his mouth very far, so it’s hard.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Nine </em></p>

Caring

Longtime friend opens up on John Farnham's potential return to singing

<p>John Farnham is back in the spotlight following the release of his brand new memoir, <em>John Farnham: The Voice Inside</em>. </p> <p>The memoir explores the legendary singer's extraordinary almost six-decade career, with an insight into the star's notoriously private family life. </p> <p>As he slowly and steadily recovers from mouth cancer, the beloved singer's voice has been heard for the first time as he narrates the <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/health/caring/john-farnham-s-voice-heard-for-the-first-time-since-throat-surgery" target="_blank" rel="noopener">audiobook</a> for his memoir. </p> <p>Now, long-time friend Gaynor Wheatley has shared an exciting update on whether the music icon would ever perform again. </p> <p>"As soon as I saw him in the studio doing the audiobook and as soon as he got behind the microphone, the twinkle was in the eye," she told <em>Today</em>.</p> <p>"That's when I thought, you know, we're still in with a shot and he can still sing, his voice box is still great, there's just a few more things to do with the mouth recovery, but we all know he's as strong as a boxer so if he wants to do something, he'll do it.</p> <p>"If I say to him, 'You won't sing, you can't sing, what a shame', then he'll go, 'Yes I can, I'll prove you wrong'."</p> <p>In another interview with <em>The Project</em>, she recalled how the legendary singer still wants to perform despite his facial disfigurement from the surgery. </p> <p>“He’s a singer,” she said at the time. </p> <p>“I know when he got back in the studio doing the audiobook, he was like, ‘I want to get back, I want to go back’."</p> <p><em>Image: Today/ Facebook</em></p>

Caring

Readers response: Have you picked up any new skills or learned something unexpected since retiring?

<p>When many of us retire and our time is now fully our own, some people use this time to pick up a new skill or hobby they've always wanted to try.</p> <p>We asked our readers if they have picked up any new skills since retiring, and the response was overwhelming. Here's what they said. </p> <p><strong>Marion Thompson</strong> - Cycling, travelling and watercolour art.</p> <p><strong>Dee Douglas</strong> - How to take a walk and look at everything with new eyes rather than a head filled with work issues.</p> <p><strong>Margaret Mason</strong> - Line dancing and croquet since moving in the last 18 months. I have actually been retired for 18 years and in that time also learnt some New Testament Greek.</p> <p><strong>Yvonne Cooper</strong> - Spoon carving and wood work. Loving it!</p> <p><strong>Glenn Azlin</strong> - Competed Certificate III Applied Languages (Mandarin).</p> <p><strong>Anne O'Donohue</strong> - How to take all week to do the chores I could do in a day.</p> <p><strong>Helen Morgan</strong> - It turns out I am very good at doing nothing, a real expert!</p> <p><strong>Sheila Ball</strong> - Taking time to read a book.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p>

Retirement Life

"So ashamed": John Farnham opens up about years of abuse

<p>John Farnham has shared explosive claims that he suffered years of abuse at the hands of his former manager at the beginning of his career. </p> <p>Revealing all in his new memoir <em>The Voice Inside</em>, which is set to be released on October 30th, the Aussie music legend opened up about the mistreatment he endured from former manager Darryl Sambell when he was a teen pop idol in the 1960s with hits like <em>Sadie the Cleaning Lady</em>.</p> <p>In an excerpt of the book published by <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=TAWEB_WRE170_a_NEW&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theaustralian.com.au%2Farts%2Freview%2Fhe-drugged-me-for-years-john-farnham-reveals-predatory-industry-life-after-cancer-in-memoir-finding-the-voice%2Fnews-story%2Fc1dfc413b3bee553a0bda380bc3bec01&memtype=anonymous&mode=premium&v21=HIGH-Segment-2-SCORE&V21spcbehaviour=appendend" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>The Australian</em></a>, Farnham wrote that Sambell “drugged me for years and I had no f**king idea,” until he found a half-dissolved pill at the bottom of a cup of coffee. </p> <p>Asked what it was, Sambell told Farnham: “That’s just something to keep you awake.”</p> <p>Farnham also writes that his manager, who was openly gay, was “aggressively sexual” towards him and he was constantly fending off his advances.</p> <p>He wrote, “I said it often enough that I can see now that this rejection turned his attraction into jealousy, hatred and a desire for control.”</p> <p>The toxic relationship went on for years, with Sambell controlling “where and when I worked, what I sang, what I wore, what I ate,” as Farnham ended up “isolated from friends and family,” even from wife Jill, who he married in 1973.</p> <p>Farnham finally sacked Sambell in 1976, later forming one of Australian music’s most successful partnerships with music manager Glenn Wheatley, who helped Farnham become a household name with his major hits of the 1980s and 90s. </p> <p>After Sambell died in 2001, Farnham wrote that he was forced to reflect on the early years of his career, and was overcome with a mixture of sorrow and shame: “I feel so ashamed of myself for not realising what Darryl was up to or speaking up more often to put him back in his place.”</p> <p>He admitted he had found it hard to “unpick” what had happened to him, until forced to confront it while writing his memoir.</p> <p>“But now that I’ve confronted it, I look back on that time with sorrow. I’m annoyed at myself for being so gullible and trusting,” he writes.</p> <p><em>Image credits: news.com.au / Facebook</em></p>

Caring

1 in 5 Australians admit they don’t wash their hands every time they use the toilet

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/christine-carson-109004">Christine Carson</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-western-australia-1067">The University of Western Australia</a></em></p> <p>Do you wash your hands every time you use the toilet? How about before you handle food? Be honest.</p> <p>Australia’s Food Safety Information Council has released its <a href="https://www.foodsafety.asn.au/topic/latest-report-card-on-aussie-handwashing-blokes-still-need-to-do-better-global-handwashing-day-15-october-2024/">latest report card</a> on the country’s hand washing habits. It found 19% of Australians don’t wash their hands every time they use the toilet. Close to half (42%) admit they don’t always wash hands before handling food.</p> <p>So who’s doing well when it comes to hand hygiene, who’s not – and why does it matter?</p> <h2>What did the report find?</h2> <p>The new report surveyed hand washing practices of 1,229 people. Results were consistent with what we’ve learned from <a href="https://www.foodsafety.asn.au/topic/latest-research-shows-improvement-in-aussie-handwashing-but-blokes-still-need-to-do-better-global-handwashing-day-15-october-2023/">similar surveys</a>.</p> <p>Once again, women do better than men at washing their hands after using the toilet, although only slightly (80% of men say they do every time, versus 83% of women). Just 55% of men wash their hands before touching food, compared to 62% of women.</p> <p>Age also seemed to make a difference. Under 34 years old, 69% of people washed their hands every time they used the toilet. Over age 65, that jumped to 86%.</p> <p>Although some of these differences aren’t completely unexpected – such as <a href="https://slate.com/technology/2020/02/women-hand-washing-more-than-men-why-coronavirus.html">the gap</a> between men’s and women’s hand washing habits – the reasons remain unclear.</p> <h2>Why don’t people wash their hands?</h2> <p>Public health messaging often focuses on how to wash hands well. But there’s less research that follows up on how widely people actually adopt these practices. And to understand why – if they are skipping the soap and water – those messages might not be getting through effectively.</p> <p><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33998334/">One study</a> that looked at this question in India asked school children about barriers to hand washing. The vast majority (91%) had low “illness threat perception”. In other words, they simply didn’t perceive a risk of getting sick form not washing their hands after going to the toilet.</p> <p>Interestingly, the inability to see germs with their own eyes was one of the biggest barriers, cited by 46% of the children. But 72% said they would wash their hands if their friends did.</p> <p>It’s tempting to speculate these reasons may also apply to other age groups, but we simply haven’t done enough research to know. People’s reasons for hand washing, or not, likely vary across their lifetime and with their circumstances.</p> <h2>What are the risks?</h2> <p>Urine and faeces contain millions of germs, especially faeces, which has more than <a href="https://theconversation.com/your-poo-is-mostly-alive-heres-whats-in-it-102848">100 billion</a> germs per gram.</p> <p>When you use the toilet and touch surfaces in the bathroom, you will pick up germs. People who skip the hand washing step on the way out take those germs with them when they leave, depositing them on each surface they touch afterwards.</p> <p>You may not get sick yourself, but you’re increasing the spread of bacteria. This can increase the risk of infection and illness for other people, including those with compromised immune systems such as older people and those undergoing common forms of treatment for cancer.</p> <p>Hand washing before cooking and eating is also important. The risk here goes both ways. If you have disease-causing germs on your hands (maybe because you didn’t wash them after the toilet) you may transfer them to the food where they can multiply and even produce toxins. People who eat the food may then get sick, often involving vomiting and diarrhoea.</p> <p>In the other direction, some foods naturally carry germs before cooking – such as <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7697675/">salmonella and campylobacter bacteria in raw poultry</a>. If you don’t wash your hands after handling these foods you may transfer them to other surfaces and risk spreading infection.</p> <h2>How should I wash my hands?</h2> <p>Follow these three simple tips for hand washing correctly:</p> <ol> <li> <p><strong>wet</strong> your hands and rub them together well to build up a good lather with soap for at least 20 seconds and don’t forget to wash between your fingers and under your nails. You might have to use a nail brush</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>rinse</strong> well under running water to remove the bugs from your hands</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>dry</strong> your hands thoroughly on a clean towel for at least 20 seconds. Touching surfaces with moist hands encourages bugs to spread from the surface to your hands.</p> </li> </ol> <h2>What about hand sanitiser?</h2> <p>If no running water is available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser. These rapidly inactivate a wide range of germs, rendering them non-infectious. Hand sanitisers are effective against a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK513254/#_article-17334_s3_">wide range of bacteria and viruses</a> that can cause many common gastrointesintal and respiratory infections.</p> <p>However if your hands are soiled with organic matter – such as blood, faeces, meat, sand or soil – they won’t be effective. In that case you should clean your hands with soap and water.</p> <h2>The bottom line</h2> <p>Hand washing is a bit like wearing a seat belt — you do that every time you get in a car, not just on the days you “plan” to be involved in an accident. The bottom line is hand washing is a simple, quick intervention that benefits you and those around you — but only if you do it.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/241481/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/christine-carson-109004">Christine Carson</a>, Senior Research Fellow, School of Medicine, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-western-australia-1067">The University of Western Australia</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/1-in-5-australians-admit-they-dont-wash-their-hands-every-time-they-use-the-toilet-241481">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Body

"Very Clark Kent": Karl Stefanovic debuts new look

<p>Karl Stefanovic has surprised viewers and his co-host with a new look this morning while reading the latest breaking news stories on the <em>Today</em> show. </p> <p>The breakfast TV host opened the show as usual alongside co-host Sarah Abo, except there was one noticeable difference to his usual style, the 50-year-old wearing a pair of black-framed reading glasses.</p> <p>"I'm liking the specs Karl, they suit you," Abo said.</p> <p>"They're giving big Clark Kent vibes."</p> <p>Stefanovic revealed the reason why he had to debut this new look. </p> <p>"Yeah I'm getting really old now, really old," he laughed.</p> <p>While he previously shared a photo of himself wearing glasses at two <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DAMvhsczk1i/?hl=en&img_index=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">charity events</a> on September 22, this is the first time Stefanovic has worn them during his breakfast show. </p> <p><em>Images: Today</em></p>

"In shock ever since": Aussie TV legend opens up on divorce

<p>Noni Hazelhurst has opened up about her high-profile divorce from actor John Jarratt in 1999, admitting she has "been in shock ever since" the relationship split. </p> <p>The former <em>Play School </em>host, 71, wrote candidly about her former husband in her new memoir <em>Dropping The Mask</em>, sharing the real reason they called off their marriage. </p> <p>Hazelhurst and Jarratt were married for 12 years, from 1987 until 1999, and share two sons together, Charlie, 36, and William, 30. </p> <p>The couple even co-hosted <em>Better Homes and Gardens</em> together, but sadly, the show wound up playing a role in their divorce.</p> <p>“John and I had some wonderful times together – and then we didn’t," Hazlehurst told <em><a href="https://www.nowtolove.com.au/celebrity/noni-hazlehurst-ex-husband/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Woman’s Day</a></em> in a new interview.</p> <p>“That’s true of many relationships. They start off full of hope and optimism and, along the way, buried issues come to the surface.”</p> <p>Noni went on to say their relationship started to end when John grew closer to a member of the <em>Better Homes</em> crew, saying “At that moment, I knew the marriage was over.” </p> <p>“We simply wanted different things. I wanted a family. John wanted another woman… The ending of my previous relationships had been hard enough, but this was far worse. In some ways, I think I’ve been in shock ever since.”</p> <p>Despite the divorce, Hazlehurst insisted she had no hard feelings toward her ex, saying, “The end result of our marriage was two beautiful children. Whatever happened can’t negate the joy they’ve brought me.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram / news.com.au</em></p>

Relationships

"Absolute honour": Federer's stirring words as Nadal hangs up his racquet

<p>Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic have led a wave of tributes after Rafael Nadal announced he would be retiring from playing professional tennis. </p> <p>Nadal announced the news in an emotional Instagram video, where he thanked his family, team, friends and loyal fans for their support, while announcing that the David Cup Finals in November would be his last competition. </p> <p>In his video, the Spanish tennis champion also thanked his "greatest rivals" for giving him fierce competition throughout his stellar career. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DA8EpTsg3iV/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DA8EpTsg3iV/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Rafa Nadal (@rafaelnadal)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Those great rivals were the first to honour Nadal after his shock announcement, with Roger Federer sharing a photo of their pair sitting side by side, both in tears, as the Swiss great announced his own retirement two years ago. </p> <p>He wrote, “What a career, Rafa! I always hoped this day would never come. Thank you for the unforgettable memories and all your incredible achievements in the game we love. It’s been an absolute honour.”</p> <p>Novak Djokovic also shared a message for Nadal, posting a photo collage of their friendship behind the scenes. </p> <p>“Rafa, one post is not enough to express the respect I have for you and what you have done for our sport,” the 24-time Grand Slam title winner wrote.</p> <p>“You have inspired millions of children to start playing tennis and I think that’s probably the greatest achievement anyone can wish for. Your tenacity, dedication, fighting spirit is going to be taught for decades. Your legacy will live forever."</p> <p>“Only you know what you had to endure to become an icon of tennis and sport in general. Thank you for pushing me to the limit so many times in our rivalry.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Daniel Irungu/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Editorial </em></p>

Retirement Life

An unbroken night’s sleep is a myth. Here’s what good sleep looks like

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/amy-reynolds-424346">Amy Reynolds</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/flinders-university-972">Flinders University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/claire-dunbar-1651340">Claire Dunbar</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/flinders-university-972">Flinders University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/gorica-micic-187159">Gorica Micic</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/flinders-university-972">Flinders University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/hannah-scott-424633">Hannah Scott</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/flinders-university-972">Flinders University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nicole-lovato-60684">Nicole Lovato</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/flinders-university-972">Flinders University</a></em></p> <p>What do you imagine a good night’s sleep to be?</p> <p>Often when people come into our sleep clinic seeking treatment, they share ideas about healthy sleep.</p> <p>Many think when their head hits the pillow, they should fall into a deep and restorative sleep, and emerge after about eight hours feeling refreshed. They’re in good company – many Australians hold <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2014.09.011">the same belief</a>.</p> <p>In reality, healthy sleep is cyclic across the night, as you move in and out of the different stages of sleep, often waking up several times. Some people remember one or more of these awakenings, others do not. Let’s consider what a healthy night’s sleep looks like.</p> <h2>Sleep cycles are a roller-coaster</h2> <p>As an adult, our sleep moves through <a href="https://www.sleepfoundation.org/stages-of-sleep">different cycles</a> and brief awakenings during the night. Sleep cycles last roughly 90 minutes each.</p> <p>We typically start the night with lighter sleep, before moving into deeper sleep stages, and rising again into rapid eye movement (REM) sleep – the stage of sleep often linked to vivid dreaming.</p> <p>If sleeping well, we get most of our deep sleep in the first half of the night, with <a href="https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/sleep/stages-of-sleep#:%7E:text=During%20REM%20sleep%2C%20your%20eyes,from%20acting%20out%20your%20dreams">REM sleep</a> more common in the second half of the night.</p> <p>Adults usually move through five or six sleep cycles in a night, and it is entirely <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2014.09.011">normal</a> to wake up briefly at the end of each one. That means we might be waking up five times during the night. This can increase with older age and still be healthy. If you’re not remembering these awakenings that’s OK – they can be quite brief.</p> <h2>What does getting a ‘good’ sleep actually mean?</h2> <p>You’ll often hear that adults <a href="https://www.sleephealthfoundation.org.au/sleep-topics/how-much-sleep-do-you-really-need#:%7E:text=Sleep%20requirements%20stabilise%20in%20early,their%20best%20the%20next%20day">need between seven and nine hours</a> of sleep per night. But good sleep is about more than the number of hours – it’s also about the quality.</p> <p>For most people, sleeping well means being able to fall asleep soon after getting into bed (within around 30 minutes), sleeping without waking up for long periods, and waking feeling rested and ready for the day.</p> <p>You shouldn’t be feeling excessively sleepy during the day, especially if you’re regularly getting at least seven hours of refreshing sleep a night (this is a rough rule of thumb).</p> <p>But are you noticing you’re feeling physically tired, needing to nap regularly and still not feeling refreshed? It may be worthwhile touching base with your general practitioner, as there a range of possible reasons.</p> <h2>Common issues</h2> <p>Sleep disorders are common. Up to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35478719/">25% of adults</a> have insomnia, a sleep disorder where it may be hard to fall or stay asleep, or you may wake earlier in the morning than you’d like.</p> <p>Rates of common sleep disorders such as insomnia and <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sleep-apnea/symptoms-causes/syc-20377631">sleep apnoea</a> – where your breathing can partially or completely stop many times during the night – also increase with age, affecting <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32280974/">20% of early adults</a> and 40% of people in <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35082023/">middle age</a>. There are effective treatments, so asking for help is important.</p> <p>Beyond sleep disorders, our sleep can also be disrupted by chronic health conditions – such as <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0012369218311139">pain</a> – and by <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jsr.13075">certain medications</a>.</p> <p>There can also be other reasons we’re not sleeping well. Some of us are woken by children, pets or traffic noise during the night. These “<a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07420528.2021.2003375">forced awakenings</a>” mean we may find it harder to get up in the morning, take longer to leave bed and feel less satisfied with our sleep. For some people, night awakenings may have no clear cause.</p> <p>A good way to tell if these awakenings are a problem for you is by thinking about how they affect you. When they cause feelings of frustration or worry, or are impacting how we feel and function during the day, it might be a sign to seek some help.</p> <p>We also may struggle to get up in the morning. This could be for a range of reasons, including not sleeping long enough, going to bed or waking up at irregular times – or even your own <a href="https://www.sleephealthfoundation.org.au/sleep-categories/circadian-rhythm-disorders#:%7E:text=The%20circadian%20rhythms%20throughout%20the,regulation%20of%20our%20sleeping%20patterns">internal clock</a>, which can influence the time your body prefers to sleep.</p> <p>If you’re regularly struggling to get up for work or family needs, it can be an indication you may need to seek help. Some of these factors can be explored with a sleep psychologist if they are causing concern.</p> <h2>Can my smart watch help?</h2> <p>It is important to remember sleep-tracking devices can <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41746-024-01016-9">vary in accuracy</a> for looking at the different sleep stages. While they can give a rough estimate, they are not a perfect measure.</p> <p>In-laboratory <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31277862/">polysomnography</a>, or PSG, is the best standard measure to examine your sleep stages. A PSG examines breathing, oxygen saturation, brain waves and heart rate during sleep.</p> <p>Rather than closely examining nightly data (including sleep stages) from a sleep tracker, it may be more helpful to look at the patterns of your sleep (bed and wake times) over time.</p> <p><a href="https://jcsm.aasm.org/doi/10.5664/jcsm.8356">Understanding your sleep patterns</a> may help identify and adjust behaviours that negatively impact your sleep, such as your bedtime routine and sleeping environment.</p> <p>And if you find viewing your sleep data is making you feel worried about your sleep, this may not be useful for you. Most importantly, if you are concerned it is important to discuss it with your GP who can refer you to the appropriate specialist sleep health provider.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/238069/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/amy-reynolds-424346">Amy Reynolds</a>, Associate Professor in Clinical Sleep Health, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/flinders-university-972">Flinders University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/claire-dunbar-1651340">Claire Dunbar</a>, Research Associate, Sleep Health, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/flinders-university-972">Flinders University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/gorica-micic-187159">Gorica Micic</a>, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Clinical Psychologist, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/flinders-university-972">Flinders University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/hannah-scott-424633">Hannah Scott</a>, Research Fellow in Sleep Health, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/flinders-university-972">Flinders University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nicole-lovato-60684">Nicole Lovato</a>, Associate Professor, Adelaide Institute for Sleep Health, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/flinders-university-972">Flinders University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/an-unbroken-nights-sleep-is-a-myth-heres-what-good-sleep-looks-like-238069">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

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Is there anything good about menopause? Yep, here are 4 things to look forward to

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/yvonne-middlewick-1395795">Yvonne Middlewick</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/edith-cowan-university-720">Edith Cowan University</a></em></p> <p>Menopause is having a bit of <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/13675494231159562">a moment</a>, with less stigma and more awareness about the changes it can bring.</p> <p>A recent senate inquiry <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Community_Affairs/Menopause/Report">recommended</a> public education about perimenopause and menopause, more affordable treatments and flexible work arrangements.</p> <p>But like many things in life the experiences of menopause are on a continuum. While some women find it challenging and require support, others experience some physical and emotional benefits. These are rarely reported – but we can learn from the research available and, importantly, from people’s lived experiences.</p> <p>Here are four changes to look forward to once you reach menopause.</p> <h2>1. No more periods or related issues</h2> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/what-are-the-most-common-symptoms-of-menopause-and-which-can-hormone-therapy-treat-225174">Menopause</a> is considered “complete” 12 months after the final period of a woman (or person assigned female at birth) who previously menstruated.</p> <p>Perhaps unsurprisingly, the benefit at the top of the list is no more periods (unless you are taking hormone therapy and still have your womb). This can be particularly beneficial for women who have had to manage <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/4/1951">erratic, unpredictable and heavy bleeding</a>.</p> <p>At last, you don’t need to keep sanitary protection in every bag “just in case”. No more planning where the bathroom is or having to take extra clothes. And you’ll save money by not purchasing sanitary products.</p> <p>There is also good news for women who have had heavy bleeding due to uterine fibroids – common benign gynaecological tumours that affect up to 80% of women. The evidence <a href="https://journals.lww.com/menopausejournal/abstract/2020/02000/uterine_fibroids_in_menopause_and_perimenopause.17.aspx">suggests</a> hormonal changes (for women not taking hormone therapy) can lead to a reduction in the size of fibroids and relieve symptoms.</p> <p>Women who suffer from menstrual migraine may experience an improvement in migraines post-menopause as their hormonal fluctuations begin to settle – but the timeframe for this <a href="https://www.maturitas.org/article/S0378-5122(20)30329-7/abstract">remains unclear</a>.</p> <p>For some women, no more periods also means more participation in social activities from which they may have been excluded due to periods. For example, <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08952841.2014.954502">religious activities or food preparation</a> in some cultures.</p> <h2>2. Getting your body and your groove back</h2> <p>Throughout their reproductive lives, women in heterosexual relationships are usually the ones expected to be <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6115298/">proactive about preventing pregnancy</a>.</p> <p>Some post-menopausal women <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08952841.2018.1396783">describe</a> a re-emergence of their sexuality and a sense of sexual freedom that they had not previously experienced (despite contraceptive availability) as there is no longer a risk of pregnancy.</p> <p>A participant in my research <a href="https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/451254/">into women’s experiences of menopause</a> described the joy of no longer being child-bearing age:</p> <blockquote> <p>I’ve got a body back for me, you know, coz I can’t get pregnant, not that I haven’t enjoyed having [children] and things like that and it was a decision to get pregnant but I feel like, ooh my body isn’t for anybody now but me, people, you know?</p> </blockquote> <p>For women who have chosen to be child-free there may also be a sense of freedom from social expectations. People will likely stop asking them when they are planning to have children.</p> <h2>3. A new chapter and a time to focus on yourself</h2> <p>Another participant <a href="https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/451254/">described</a> menopause as an unexpected “acceleration point” for change.</p> <p>Women told us they were more accepting of themselves and their needs rather than being focused on the needs of other people. Researchers have previously <a href="https://sk.sagepub.com/books/individualization">tracked this shift</a> from “living for others” to “a life of one’s own”.</p> <p>Some women find the strength of emotions at this time a challenge, whereas others find their potency can <a href="https://doi.org/10.1145/3290605.3300710">facilitate liberation</a> – enabling them to speak their minds or be more assertive than at any other time in their lives.</p> <h2>4. Increased self-confidence</h2> <p>A new sense of liberation can fuel increased self-confidence at menopause. This has been <a href="https://doi.org/10.1145/3290605.3300710">reported</a> in studies based on in-depth <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/0167482X.2016.1270937">interviews with women</a>.</p> <p>Confidence boosts can coincide with <a href="https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/451254/">changes in career and sometimes in relationships</a> as priorities and self-advocacy transform.</p> <h2>Life on the other side</h2> <p>It can be hard to think about what is good about menopause, particularly if you are having challenges during perimenopause – but these can get better with time.</p> <p>In <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6910086/">cultures where women are valued as they become older</a>, women describe themselves as positively contributing to the community. They find they gain power and respect as they age.</p> <p>We need to work towards more positive societal attitudes on this front. Our bodies change across the lifespan and are remarkable at every stage, including menopause.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/239725/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/yvonne-middlewick-1395795">Yvonne Middlewick</a>, Nurse, Lecturer & Director of Post-graduate Studies in the School of Nursing and Midwifery, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/edith-cowan-university-720">Edith Cowan University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-there-anything-good-about-menopause-yep-here-are-4-things-to-look-forward-to-239725">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

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Is there anything good about menopause? Yep, here are 4 things to look forward to

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